Truck load of barricades for the Great Bull Run at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers

Conyers City Manager Tony Lucas

The Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers

The first Great Bull Run in Virginia in August

CONYERS, Ga. -- Georgia's Agriculture Department confirmed for 11Alive News on Monday that organizers of this coming Saturday's "Great Bull Run" event in Conyers finally filed an application for an exhibition permit late last Friday.

Even though the department suggests such requests be made 21 days in advance, the spokesperson told 11Alive they thought the last minute permit request could be processed in time.

Organizers of the event, who have obtained several other necessary permits, called the event application an oversight.

The California-based Animal Legal Defense Fund called for the event to be shut down late last week, especially since the permit had not been granted.

They've also started on online petition asking city and state officials to shut it down.

On Monday the group told 11Alive they are still debating whether to try and block the event with a lawsuit even if the final permit is granted.

They believe the bull run could cause "serious and potentially fatal violence" for participants and be dangerous for the animals as well.

The Great Bull Run Company has begun staging such events in the U.S. similar to the famous and often dangerous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

They're bringing 36 bulls and steers from Kentucky for Saturday's event at the Conyers horse park that was originally built for the 1996 Centennial Olympic games.

The City of Conyers, who now owns and operates the park, says they welcome the event.

"There's always a danger, an inherent danger when you're competing in a sport and certainly the participants understand and know that," Conyers City Manager Tony Lucas told 11Alive on Monday.

He defended the event, saying they are used to hosting several livestock events and handling complaints.

"This is a reputable company that we've dealt with for years and years in the rodeo side of this business and we have all the confidence in the world that they'll take great care of these animals," Lucas said.

The same company held its first such bull run in Virginia in August and some people were hospitalized.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund told 11Alive they did not object to that first event because they didn't know about it.